Crono Cross: Redemption
by Mike5
Summary: Disturbing dreams cause Serge to go on another quest. But who is his enemy this time and what awaits him when he crosses through the dimensions once again. This is my first fanfic, so please read and review. Chapter 2 is finally finished.
1. Default Chapter

Redemption 

Chrono Cross: Redemption!

By Michael

Disclaimer: All characters and settings in this story are the property of Squaresoft.

Author's note: I tried to make this as close to Chrono Cross as possible. This is my first story I've made for Chrono Cross, so please look it over and give me LOTS of feedback.

Prologue:

Saving the World

A dark wind howled across the heavens, carrying small particles of dust and ice over a land frozen in time. Various structures lay over a vast area, appearing as if they would topple over any moment. Surrounding the base of each these structures was what could only be described as a raging flood that had been frozen almost instantaneously. It was a world that could only be seen as a dead world.

From the largest tower, a single observer sat and watched the flakes of dust and ice settle on the ground. Occasionally his eyes caught sight of a spirit wandering out of the shadows and then disappearing into the shadows again. However, the observer paid them no heed. They were nothing more then wandering souls who died long ago. But after some careful consideration, he doubted that they ever 'lived' to begin with.

The observer then heard the sound of approaching footsteps from behind. Judging from the sound each step made, he recognized the approaching figure as his brother. "Has it been done?" the occupant demanded.

"Yes," the new arrival answered.

The observer let out a sigh and continued to look over the terrain.

"A haunting sight," the new arrival said.

"Get a good look at it. It may be a future we will face if we can't prevent it."

"Do you believe we can do it?"

"We will try. But until our numbers are united, we can do nothing."

"Why not just destroy the one who opposes us?"

"No. She is far more valuable alive then dead. We need all the power we can get, and she is the key to our success," the observer said. He then turned to his brother. "Do not worry. We will survive as we always have."

The new arrival let out a silent groan. "Just remember one thing, she is the one responsible for our defeat in the last battle," the new arrival said before returning inside the tower.

The observer returned his gaze to the barren wasteland. Memories of how close they had come to saving the world danced in his head. How close he and his younger brother and all the others came to saving the world. But one person prevented it from happening. However, the observer made a vow to himself that he would show his new prisoner the error in her ways and convince her to lend her powers to him. Once he had accomplished this, he knew it was possible to save what was left of the real world.

* * * * * *

Chapter 1:

Old War Buddies

"Serge."

No response.

"Serge," the voice called with more urgency.

Again, there was no response.

"Serge!"

Serge felt his head start to fall a short distance where it hit the top of his mattress. As he opened his eyes, he saw his pillow come crashing down onto his face. "Hmph!" Serge cried. His voice muffled by the pillow. The pillow was pulled off the next second, and Serge found himself looking into the eyes of a very disgruntled Leena.

"You awake yet?" Leena demanded.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Serge cried as he held his hands up in defense to prevent Leena from swinging the pillow in his face again. Slowly he sat up in his bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes and rubbing his head in pain. "What's going on, Leena?"

"Don't you remember? You promised me that you would go to Termina with me!" Leena sneered.

"Termina?" Serge said in surprise.

"Yes! Termina!"

Serge began to think back. After a brief second, he began to recall the promise Leena spoke of. Leena had wanted to pick up some new clothes for her family and had asked him if he would be willing to take her there by boat. Serge, without putting too much thought into it, had promised he would. Now he was regretting not thinking his offer through.

"You forgot, didn't you," Leena answered after a brief moment.

"No. I remember now," Serge answered.

"Good. I'll be waiting for you at the docks," Leena said as she rubbed Serge's cheek gently with her hand and made her way out. "Don't keep me waiting."

Serge watched as Leena exited his room. He then bowed his head down and rubbed his stiff neck. "Man. It's gotten so hectic around here that a person can't get a descent amount of sleep anymore. Don't I deserve some rest after what I've been through?" Serge cursed to himself.

* * * * * *

It had taken Serge a few minutes to gather all the equipment he needed, as well as make arrangements to borrow a old fisherman's boat. Once everything had been settled, he met up with Leena on the docks, and the two of them were sailing towards Termina.

"I really appreciate that you were willing to give me a ride to Termina. It sure beats walking there," Leena said once they were in open waters.

"No problem. Besides, this is probably one of the better days to go sailing," Serge said as he adjusted the sail on the boat. It did not take long for him to catch a good breeze.

Leena looked out into the open waters. The sun shined down upon them and only a few white clouds could be seen. Just clear open waters. It was the perfect atmosphere to sail by, especially with a friend.

"You know Serge…" Leena began as she looked toward him, only to stop when she saw him leaning against the mast, clutching his head in one hand. "Serge? Are you all right?"

Serge shook his head to clear it before turning to Leena. "Huh? Oh. Sorry. I got a little dizzy there for a moment," Serge said.

"You do look a little green. You're not getting sea sick, are you?" Leena asked.

"Me? No way!" Serge retaliated. The next moment he felt his head start to spin for a brief second. He clutched his head in response

"And I thought you were a man of the sea," Leena snickered.

"I am!" Serge growled. He was feeling a little embarrassed now. Quickly, he shook off the wave of dizziness. In truth, he was surprised himself that he was feeling a little sea sick. Having been born and raised near the sea, he should have been immune to the feeling. So why was he getting it now?

"You sure don't look like it," Leena added.

"Says you," Serge retaliated in mock frustration. He continued to shake his head to clear it. Within a few moments, the feeling of nausea and dizziness had completely disappeared. "See. I'm fine."

"As you say," Leena said. She figured she had embarrassed Serge enough. She then turned her head toward the horizon, gazing where the dark blue of the ocean met with the light blue of the sky. "So what are you going to do when we reach Termina?"

"Don't know. I don't know many people in that town," Serge began. He then gave the question a little more thought. "Maybe I'll see if Norris is still around."

"Norris? Who's he?" Leena asked.

Serge was about to answer, but then thought better of it. He had almost forgotten that Leena had never met Norris. The Leena from the other world had known Norris since they had fought together. But this Leena, his Leena, never heard about the soldier. In fact, Leena had never really learned the full story about his journey. The most she got were bits and pieces he accidentally leaked out. "Just a old comrade I fought with," Serge answered.

"Someone you met on your 'grand adventure'?" Leena asked. There was a hint of sarcasm when she said 'grand adventure'.

"Yeah. You could say that," Serge said. He knew Leena wouldn't believe his story if he told her. The events that happened seemed like an adventure from a fairy tale or dream. At least, that's what Leena thought from the bits and pieces she did hear.

At one point, shortly after the ordeal, Serge almost believed it was a dream. It was hard for him to believe that a young man like himself had gone off and saved the world from Demi-humans, dragons, and an evil Time Devourer. It all seemed utterly preposterous.

Only two things made him realize that he had not been dreaming. The first was the fact that he still had the Chrono Cross relic and the Astral Amulet, both of which he had hidden away. The second was the fact that Radius had also been a part of the events that happened. In fact, it was Radius who told him that it was probably best not to speak about what happened. Such stories were best kept secret.

"You know, it may help if you tell me about that dream you had. Why don't you tell me about it," Leena asked. 

Serge smiled and looked down. Leena often tried to make him tell the whole story behind his 'dream', but Serge always heeded Radius's advice, in some manner at least. There were certain details he knew Leena would not like to hear. One was the relation he held with Kid. Another was the fact that he was responsible for killing Leena's father, Miguel. Leena's feelings would be crushed if she heard such things. "I'll tell you when we have some spare time."

"Why not now? We have some time," Leena answered as she looked back to Serge.

"Well – ah," Serge found himself at a disadvantage.

"Well?" Leena asked.

"Maybe another time. The story is to long to tell," Serge answered.

"Then give me the short version."

Serge gave this a few minutes of thought before answering. "All right. I saved the world from a evil Time Devourer," Serge smiled.

"Oh please!" Leena said as she rolled her eyes. She assumed that Serge was teasing her.

"It's the truth."

"Yeah, right," Leena groaned as she sat with her back to Serge.

"You wanted the short version," Serge laughed.

Leena let out a deep sigh of frustration. It was both annoying and disturbing for her to know that Serge actually believed his dream had happened. It was more frustrating that Serge wouldn't confide with her. A small part of her worried that Serge was loosing his concept of reality.

"Serge. You must understand that your so-called quest never happened, it was just a-" Leena paused in mid-sentence as she looked back at Serge. To her surprise, Serge was falling to his knees, gasping in pain. "Serge?"

Serge only groaned in pain. His hands clutched his head as he kneeled in the boat. Before Leena could ask what was wrong or stand up to aid him, Serge doubled over and fell over the side.

"SERGE!"

* * * * * *

The pain was intense as it ripped through Serge's body. All Serge could do was brace himself against the agonizing sensations that flowed through him. It was as if his entire body had somehow caught fire. Yet the pain was only the beginning.

As Serge tried to fight off the pain, images began to appear in his mind. Dark images of death and destruction that sent chills down his spine. Whether they were old memories or the future of what was to come, Serge did not know.

"Please! Stop!" Serge begged.

The images and pain continued.

"STOP IT!" Serge shouted.

Nothing seemed to hear him. The images only came in more rapidly as time went by. Serge was forced only to watch in horror. Desperately, he wanted to scream out, but he couldn't. The pain was too intense. Instead, he found himself gasping for air. But within moments, he found he could not breathe.

With ever increasing desperation, Serge tried to breathe again, but couldn't. He was choking on something. Struggling with all of his might, he tried to draw in another breath, but it was futile. With every moment, Serge's movement grew slower as he his strength drained away from the lack of oxygen. As his body sagged, he could only wonder of this was death he was feeling. Perhaps it was. Perhaps his time on Earth had ended and it was time for him to return to the sea.

"Serge…."

The voice seemed to echo all around him, but Serge could not answer.

"Answer me Serge…." The voice demanded.

Serge tried, but couldn't.

"Answer me!" the voice demanded again.

At first, Serge saw no point in answering. He couldn't. No matter how much he tried. He no longer had the stamina to. If not for a small part of him that urged him on, Serge would have completely given up. Serge had never quite on anything. He had always been too stubborn to quit. So why should he quit now?

"Serge!"

Trying once more, Serge tried to shout out. What emerged from his lips was not his screams, but the sound of him coughing out violently. He then felt air enter his lungs as he took in a deep breath. Slowly, he found himself returning to life.

"Answer me, Serge!" Leena cried as she applied pressure to Serge's chest, performing CPR. After a few quick pumps on his chest, she placed her lips on Serge's and breathed into him. She then quickly pulled her lips away when she felt Serge give a sharp exhale.

Serge awoke in a coughing fit. Water dripped down the corners of his mouth. Slowly his eyes opened and began to focus on Leena who was kneeling over him.

"Serge?" Leena said when she saw him stare into her eyes, "Are you alright?"

Serge coughed out in response and tried to sit up, but found his strength had deserted him. When he decided to try again, Leena offered some of her strength to help him.

"Are you okay?" Leena asked again. Her body trembled as she asked the question.

"Ye – Yeah," Serge gasped after a few moments.

Leena let out a sigh of relief. Her right hand was clutching at her heart.

"What happened?" Serge asked after taking a few more breaths of air.

"You fell over the side of boat and nearly drowned. If I wasn't here, you would have," Leena answered.

"I almost drowned?" Serge said in surprise.

"Yes. Your lucky I was trained in CPR and rescue techniques," Leena said.

Serge looked into Leena's face for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what had just transpired. He could see she was dripping wet like he was. Her face was filled with fear and concern. It didn't take him long to realize that she was responsible for bringing him back to life. "I guess I owe you one," Serge said.

Leena stared into Serge's face for a few seconds before she reached over and hugged him gently. She needed to know that everything was all right now. It wasn't until he returned the hug that she felt satisfied. After a few brief moments, she broke the hug and looked Serge in the face. "What happened?"

Serge found he could not answer her. All the images he had seen had disappeared from his mind. He could only look toward Leena, who still waited for an answer. "I don't - I don't know."

* * * * * * 

A few hours later, Leena was found wandering through the streets of Termina. Though her main goal had been to go through the shops that lined street and purchase some supplies, she could not get her mind off what had happened on the sea. The thought of almost loosing Serge was frightening to her.

Originally, she had hoped to explore the town with Serge. The Porre army had withdrawn most of its troops in an effort to make people feel more comfortable under their rule. Only a handful of guards were left to police the city, which allowed many shops to open up once again. Termina was slowly growing into one of the biggest attractions now. It was something that she had hoped to share with Serge so she could strengthen her relationship with him.

But Serge was drained after the incident in the sea. He only wanted to check in at the nearest hotel and get some rest to recuperate. Given what happened, Leena had to agree with Serge that he needed rest. If something bad happened to Serge, she would not know what she would do.

Leena could only wander the streets blindly, trying to think about what she could do to help Serge. She just ignored the scenes and people around, nearly bumping into a few in the process. As she rounded a street corner, she failed to notice a man coming in the opposite direction, carrying some groceries. Before either one of them knew what happened, they both had collided.

Leena stumbled back in surprise and shock. The first thing that caught her eyes were the pieces of fruit and cans of food that came crashing to the ground. What followed were the curses of the man she had bumped into. Slowly, she looked up toward the man. Her hands covered her mouth as she gasped in fright at what she saw the next instant. She was starring at what looked like an officer of the Porre Army.

"Dam it!" the man cursed as he watched the groceries spread around.

"I'm sorry," Leena quickly apologized. Quickly she got to her hands and knees to pick up the food.

"No. It's okay. You don't have…." The man froze, looking Leena in the face. His jaw dropped open the next moment. "Leena?"

Leena gasped as she heard her name. Fear flew through her body as she realized the man knew who she was. This was considered bad since anyone who got involved with the Porre Army usually got into serious trouble, and she had, quite literally, walked right into a officer of the army. Leena wanted to run away and escape, but all she could do was look up at the man in fear.

"It is you. Don't you recognize me?" the man asked.

Leena looked over the man. She could find nothing familiar about him. "No," Leena said as she shook her head.

"You don't?"

"Uh – No. I'm sorry. I don't know who you are," Leena replied.

"Surely you must remember that excursion we had with Serge, Glenn, Kid, and all the others. We -" the man then stopped in mid-sentence as a realization suddenly struck him. He then turned his head away in embarrassment. "My apologies. Mistake of identity on my part," he then proceeded to gather his groceries off the ground.

Leena blinked as a realization struck her as well. The man had mentioned Serge's name. Though he mentioned some other names she didn't recognize, she was certain she heard Serge's name. Could this man know Serge somehow?

"Again. My apologies," the man said after he gathered the last of his groceries and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Leena called out when the man was a short distance away.

The man stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.

"Do...Do you know Serge?" Leena asked.

"If your referring to the same Serge who dresses like some sort of pirate and wields a swallow, then the answer is yes," the man answered. He then proceeded on his way.

"Wait!"

The man stopped and looked over his shoulder again.

"You wouldn't happen to be Norris, would you?" Leena said.

The man completely turned around this time. "Maybe."

* * * * * *

For the better part of a day, Serge found himself lying in bed, trying to recover his strength, as well as figure out what had happened to him at sea. Desperately, he tried to remember what he had seen. Were they old memories of what happened, or premonitions of things to come? With all that had happened to him in his past, Serge doubted it was a good idea to just forget about the events that had transpired on the sea.

One of the greatest reasons Serge feared what he saw was the fact that it felt so much like the images he saw once before. Images where he saw himself, or rather Lynx in his body, stabbing Kid. He needed to know if what he had experienced on the sea was the same thing as his dream with Kid being stabbed.

Before Serge could continue his pondering, he heard a light knocking from the door. "Come in," Serge said as he sat up in his bed.

Slowly, Leena entered the room. "Hi, Serge. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Only a little confused about what happened," Serge confessed. Serge then noticed that Leena looked slightly uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?"

Leena remained silent for a few seconds, as if she was debating whether to tell Serge something. "I met someone outside that says he might know you?"

"Who?"

"Its been a while Serge," Norris said as he walked in.

Serge's face brightened almost immediately at the site of Norris. A small laugh escaped his lips as he got up to greet his old comrade. "I was hoping to meet with you again, Norris," Serge said happily as he shook Norris's hand.

"Me too. It's been a while," Norris smiled.

Leena let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Norris and Serge knew each other and appeared to be friends.

"How did you find me?" Serge asked.

"You could say I bumped into Leena and mistook her for someone else, if you know what I mean," Norris explained.

Serge gave this some thought before he caught on. "Right."

Feeling it was best to let Serge become acquainted with his old friend, Leena decided it was best of her to leave for the moment. "I'm going to go down and bring some refreshments."

"Are you sure?" Serge asked.

"Yes. Besides, you seem to have a lot of catching up to do with your friend," Leena said.

"All right," Serge said.

Leena then made her way out of the room.

Serge and Norris watched her leave before returning to their conversation.

"So alike," Norris said.

"I know. Its hard for me to believe sometimes that she isn't the same Leena who accompanied us," Serge said. The two then took a seat and began to reminisce about their past adventure and all that had happened afterward.

* * * * * *

Leena had had some doubts when she brought Norris to see Serge. She had asked a number of questions to test Norris so he could prove that he somehow knew Serge before bringing Norris to see him. Surprisingly, Norris answered all the questions correct, but still Leena had her doubts. It wasn't until she had allowed Norris to meet Serge did all of her doubts fade away. From the way she had seen Serge's face light up, she could only deduce that Serge and Norris were good friends. But how did he meet Norris?

Though Leena said she would allow Norris and Serge to spend some time together to reminisce, her curiosity overwhelmed her and she found herself listening in just outside the room. What she heard were stories about places she had never heard of and people she never thought Serge had met. She even heard her name used a few times, making her wonder if there was another girl named Leena. Or were they talking about her?

Another topic that peeked Leena's curiosity was someone named Kid. Though most of the conversation around her speculated on her whereabouts and the times they had together, she was getting the distinct impression that Serge had a deep friendship with this girl once. After hearing so much on this topic, Leena decided it was best that she did not listen to anymore of the conversation, and went downstairs to grab a bite to eat.

As she did, she began to wonder. Had Serge been telling the truth about him saving the world? It didn't seem possible. Serge had never left Arni Village except that one time to be cured of a poison from a demon panther. But that incident happened so long ago. There was also the fact that some of the things she heard sounded a little like what she had gathered about Serge's dream. Did something actually happen with Serge? If so, how come she didn't know about it?

"Its hard to believe that so much has happened. Yet, no one seems to know what happened. It's almost like a dream," Serge said after they were done talking about their adventures.

"I know what you mean. Its almost as if time just stood still, and only the people who participated remember what happened," Norris said.

"Do you think it was a dream?" Serge asked.

"When I woke up after our battle with the Time Devourer, I thought it was. Then I met Zappa and Van in town. They had the same memories as I did. Now, I just think that somehow either time froze or we went back in time before anything happened. Truthfully, I don't think I want to know what happened," Norris explained.

"Radius told me the same thing. Its like time just froze for everyone but us," Serge added.

A small grin then appeared on Norris's face. "It sometimes feels strange to see the people we fought with wander the streets, yet they are not the same ones who accompanied us, like Korcha. I almost believed the ferryman in this town was the same Korcha that accompanied us," Norris laughed.

"Like you did with Leena?" Serge asked.

"Exactly."

"I know what you mean. It is strange," Serge laughed.

Norris began to stretch in his seat. "At least it's over. Don't have to worry about some Time Devourer or other monster wiping out the world."

Serge sighed as he began to recollect the images he saw at sea. "I wonder if it truly is over?" Serge said.

Norris blinked in surprise when he heard this. "What do you mean?"

At first, Serge was willing to explain to Norris what happened, but then thought better of it. In truth, he had no idea what the images were or what they were for. He decided it was best to keep them to him-self, for now. "Nothing. Forget it,"

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry. If something does happen, you'll be one of the first ones to know about it," Serge reassured.

"All right. Just don't leave me in the dark."

* * * * * *

There was very little light shinning into the room where the observer and his brother now stood. The room they stood in was huge. It was cylindrical in shape and was at least three stories high. The many platforms and machinery that once lined the walls now lay on the floor, scattered and broken. Many corridors connected to the room, but either ended in a sharp drop, or had wreckage covering their entrance. Despite all the wreckage and ancient technologies on the floor that could be salvaged and used, only one thing caught their eyes.

In the middle of the room was a golden pillar of light. The pillar stretched out from the floor to the ceiling and was at least twelve feet in diameter. Directly in the center of the pillar was the dark silhouette of a young girl. The only visible features that could be seen of her were the torn clothing she wore and short hair that flowed freely. Occasionally, bolts of energy would appear along the floor or ceiling and race along the pillars side, where they would eventually collide with the prisoner inside. The prisoner could only let out silent screams or huddle in pain each time one of these bolts hit her.

"Does she still resist?" the brother asked the observer.

The observer only responded with a nod.

The brother groaned in anger. "How can she not realize that her actions will cause this future to happen?"

"I do not know."

The brother turned to the observer. "Haven't you been peering into her mind?" the brother demanded.

"I have. But, like I said earlier, she still resists us. She will not open her mind to me very easily. Only with patience and a lot of persistence do we have a chance to break her," the observer explained.

"How is she able to resist us? She isn't that strong. Is she?"

"She was strong enough to fight us and cause our defeat," the observer commented.

The brother groaned and looked toward the prisoner. It was hard for him to believe that this small one caused their defeat. Ever since they were defeated, a virus had grown and spread, consuming all life on the planet. If it had not been for the fact that the prisoner possessed the power needed to help him and his other companions save the world, he would have had her killed immediately. "Why does she resist us?"

"For one, she has always been stubborn. Another, she hopes that one of her companions can rescue her."

"Can she call on her companions for help?"

"I do not know. But she is very cunning and resourceful. I suspect by now she has figured out some way to."

"What shall we do then?" the brother asked.

"Nothing for now. I doubt she can reach out to them, at least not now. She does not have the strength. But if they do come, we will be ready for them," the observer said as he looked upon the prisoner. His brother followed the observer's gaze and watched the prisoner as well.

From within the pillar of light, the prisoner continued to endure the pain the energy bolts brought her. Despite the burning pain, she refused to give in. She had hope that the only one who had the power to kill her captors would save her. Over and over, she whispered his name, as if calling to him. "Serge."

* * * * * * *

It was already night when Serge and Leena walked the streets of Termina. Though he was still a little unsettled by the events that happened, Serge decided to spend some time with Leena like she asked him to. She had saved his life, and Serge felt he owed her a great debt. For now, the only thing he could offer her was his company.

The two wandered the lighted streets, talking and laughing as they went for what seemed like hours. They looked into every store that was still open and bought a few accessories they needed for the coming months. When some of the stores started closing down for the night, the two just wandered the streets, admiring the setting of the town.

"Thanks for taking me out, Serge," Leena said as she leaned up against him.

"No problem. I figured I owed you that much after you saved my life. Besides, you looked like you needed some fresh air," Serge replied.

"I was kind of surprised you didn't invite Norris along. You two seemed like good friends," Leena said.

"Nah. He hates shopping. Besides, he has duties to attend to," Serge explained.

Leena remained silent for a few seconds in thought before continuing the conversation. "How did you meet him?"

"Huh?"

"How did you meet Norris? It seems kind of strange that you would know a officer of the Porre Army when you never even left Arni Village," Leena said.

"Well…." Serge found himself speechless. He wasn't sure how to explain that he was in Lynx's body when he met Norris and that Norris mistook him for the real Lynx. He then remembered the person who convinced Norris to come with him. "Radius introduced him to me," Serge replied.

"Radius? You're kidding," Leena said in surprise.

"Nope," Serge smiled.

"But how did Radius know him?" Leena asked.

"He's a former Dragoon. He must have met Norris while in service," Serge said, even though it was a lie. The truth was that Norris knew Radius only by reputation and joined them only to find the Frozen Flame. However the story was to complex for Serge to explain to Leena. Not to mention, he couldn't really tell her.

"Really? I didn't know that," Leena said. She knew Radius was a good leader and fighter, but never did she get the impression that he was also a former Dragoon. Before she could ponder anymore, her eyes caught sight of something on the bridge that crossed the channel. "Hey Serge. Look over there!" Leena said.

"Huh?" Serge said. He followed her gaze to a fortuneteller's tent on the bridge. Standing at the entrance was an old man with a long white beard. He wore a white robe and matching turban. At the moment, he didn't appear to have any business at all and was in desperate need of some.

"Let's get our fortune read," Leena said.

Serge then felt his arm being tugged by Leena as she raced forward. "Hey! Wait a minute!"

"Come on! It'll be fun!"

"Whoa! I'm coming!" Serge said, nearly being pulled off his feet by Leena. He was struggling to keep up with her pace.

"Come one! Come all! See what the future has in store for you! Mysteries and suspense await you my friends!" the fortuneteller called out. For hours, he repeated this phrase, but not many had answered his call. He was about to call it a day when he noticed Leena coming toward him, dragging Serge behind her. "Ah! What do we have here? Two lovers itching to have their fortune read?"

"Hello, sir. How much is it to have our fortunes read?" Leena asked.

"For only five coins, I will reveal all I see," the fortuneteller said.

"Well? What do you think, Serge?" Leena asked. A gentle smile danced across her face.

Serge wasn't to keen on having his fortune read. Though he had his read before, he always got the impression that the fortunetellers were nothing more than con artists or low-level magicians trying to make a quick coin. Still, he figured he should at least make Leena happy. Her gentle smile was more than enough to make him do what she asked. "All right," Serge said as he pulled out the money.

The fortuneteller greedily took the money. "Now who should I do first?"

"Me! Tell me about my future relations with Serge," Leena said.

"Very well, my lady," the fortuneteller complied. He then closed his eyes and started wave his arms around. He emitted a low moan as he concentrated on reading Leena's future. After a brief period, he stopped and looked toward to Leena. "My dear friend. The secrets of one will compel you to find another. Only then will your happiness be complete," the fortuneteller said.

"What do you mean by that?" Leena asked.

"Perhaps you better read mine," Serge intervened. He didn't wish the fortuneteller to tell some of the secrets he had concerning his adventure. Not to mention, he didn't want Leena to get upset.

"Very well," the fortuneteller said before he began the same ritual over. Once again, he let his arms wave around while emitting a small moan. The man then let out a gasp of air as his eyes suddenly popped wide open in surprise. The next moment, he started to collapse.

"Whoa!" Serge said as he quickly caught the man. "Easy there."

"What's the matter with him?" Leena asked as she examined him.

Before Serge could answer, he felt a sharp pain on his arm. He looked down to see the man was clutching to him tightly. "Hey! Let go!"

"Be warned my friend! You will soon depart to cross beyond! You will fight those who wish to save the world! You must choose who will be your friend and who will be your foe! Choose carefully when you make your decisions, for some must be sacrificed! The one awaits!" the fortuneteller said as if he was in a trance. The man then fell limp in Serge's arms.

Serge looked at the man in surprise upon hearing the prediction. Leena could only share his startled look.

"What does he mean, Serge?" Leena asked.

"I don't know."

The next moment, the fortuneteller began to awaken from shock. As he looked around, he appeared a little confused about what had happened. He then looked toward Serge and Leena.

"Are you okay?" Serge asked.

"Ah…"

"Sir?" Leena asked.

The man remained silent as he began to recall what happened. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to alarm you," the man said once he had gathered all of his wits.

"What happened?" Serge asked.

"I don't know. It was if I was being overwhelmed by something," the fortuneteller said.

"By what?" Leena asked.

"I…I don't know. I never felt such a strong power or made such a prediction," the man replied.

Serge and Leena looked at the man in silence before turning to look at each other.

* * * * * *

The next mourning, Serge and Leena had finished their shopping. Once they were done, they loaded their belongings onto their boat and made their way back to Arni Village. For the most part, the trip was a silent one. Neither Serge nor Leena knew what to say to each other after the previous day's events.

For Leena, she was confused from all that had happened in Termina. To her surprise, she had learned more about Serge then she ever thought possible. It was if Serge was a completely different person then the one she knew. He seemed to have more secrets then she ever thought possible. Occasionally she would make a glance towards Serge before turning back to the sea.

She was also worried about the prediction the fortuneteller had made. What did he mean about crossing beyond or some must be sacrificed? Did it mean that Serge was going to die? Who was this 'one' the man spoke of?

In her mind, she knew she had to watch over Serge. Something inside her, call it woman's intuition, told her that something major was about to happen, and she wanted to be a part of it. If she didn't, she feared she would loose Serge….forever.

TO BE CONTINUED…..

Author's note: I hope I caught your interest on the story. I want a lot of feedback. The more feedback and reviews I see, the sooner I will be able to complete the next chapter. Please, no flaming. This is my first Chrono Cross fan fiction. Also, if your interested, I am open to suggestions, provided they don't take me away from the main plot of the story. You can E-mail me suggestions or reviews to me at MikeMuir78@aol.com or MikeMuir78@Yahoo.com.


	2. Chapter 2: Disturbing Dreams

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Chrono Cross, but I don't. I don't even have the game, but I have played it through three times. Anyway, the brilliant men and women of Squaresoft are the ones who own the characters and the game. This story is just something I'm working on for fun.

Author's Note: I want to personally thank everyone who spent the time to read and review my story. Your feedback means a lot to me. I know it has taken me a long time to write this, longer than I anticipated, but I hope you find it was well worth the wait. Please enjoy and give lots of feedback.

Chrono Cross: Redemption

Chapter 2

Disturbing Dreams

Slowly, Serge awoke to the sound of waves crashing on the shore and the smell of salt in the air. The first thing he noticed was the gentle cool breeze against his face. As he got up, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked at his new surroundings.

To his surprise, he found himself lying on the shore of a beach that over looked the sea. The beach was covered in white sand and did not seem to have any coral around it like Opassa Beach had. It also seemed to be surrounded by towering mountains that were only a few meters inland. The bases of these mountains were hidden by rows of palm trees.

Although Serge didn't recognize the spot, he felt as if he had seen the area before. What puzzled him even more was how he had gotten there. What happened? Was he shipwrecked? Where was Leena?

Despite trying to recollect what happened, Serge found he could not remember. The last thing he could recall was heading back from Termina on the boat. Everything that happened after the trip was a blur in Serge's mind.

As Serge tried to answer his questions, he noticed a golden light in the corner of his eye. The light was enough to distract Serge from his dilemma and send him to investigate. To his surprise, he found himself staring at a new portal. However, unlike the green light that was seen in the portal that led to the other world, this one was gold.

What Serge found even more confusing was how the portal existed. He had always assumed that after he defeated the Time Devourer, everyone was returned to his or her dimension and the portals between worlds had sealed. So how did this portal exist?

Before Serge could come up with a possible answer, a ray of light shot upward from the portal, causing Serge to jump back in surprise.

After his initial shock, Serge looked back at the area to see white light swirling around the gateway for a short time, then dissipating. As the white light disappeared, the portal began to open slowly, revealing dark chaotic swirls of blue energy. Slowly it grew, eating away at the land surrounding it like a Black Hole.

Serge could only stare for a few moments at what he saw. As he watched the land being devoured by the opening, a feeling of danger gripped Serge's heart. Whether it was intuition or some sixth sense, Serge did not know. He only knew there was something evil about the gateway and that staying could prove fatal. Without a second thought, Serge turned and ran toward the forest.

As Serge tried to flee, the portal grew faster, swallowing everything in its wake. It was almost as if it knew Serge was trying to escape and was seeking him out. Sand began to pour inside the gateway like a waterfall as it grew.

Serge scurried through the forest as if his very life depended on it. After running a short distance, Serge began to hear the first few trees being swallowed by the portal. The sound of wood breaking apart and leaves rustling caused Serge to quicken his pace. He did not dare look back to find how far the opening was. After navigating around fallen sticks and bushes, Serge spotted a clearing ahead and raced toward it, believing he could outrun the portal in open ground.

As he entered the clearing, Serge found that he had inadvertently run into what seemed like a dead end. Directly in front of him were the cliffs of the mountains that lay behind the forest he had seen earlier. As far as he could tell, they were almost vertical, with only a few small handholds for climbing.

At first, Serge looked for another route of escape, but stopped at the sound of crashing trees and foliage directly behind him. He turned to see the gateway breaking through the tree line, the last few trees being swallowed by the ever growing void. Whatever fell in disappeared into the chaotic swirls of energy. By now, the portal was probably big enough to swallow the whole city of Termina.

Realizing he had little choice, Serge turned to the mountains. Grabbing whatever ledges he could get his fingers into, Serge slowly began to climb upward. He had only made it about two meters off the ground when the portal finally reached the base of the mountain.

Almost immediately, the mountain began to crack and break apart as the ground underneath it disappeared into the void. Large chunks of rock began to break off at the base. Sections of the mountain began to cave in and fall into the void.

As the mountain shook, Serge began to loose his grip. Desperately, he began to search for another handhold. However, before he could find one, a boulder the size of Serge's head fell and slammed into Serge's right shoulder. There was a sickening crack as Serge felt his shoulder and collarbone break. Gripping his shoulder in pain, Serge fell from the mountain and into the void.

Chaotic swirls surrounded Serge's body, sending bolts of energy through him. Serge felt his body burn as each bolt crashed into him. No words could describe the pain he was feeling. Serge could only scream in pain.

"NO!"

* * * * *

"No!" Serge screamed as he rolled out his bed. His body landed on its side, awakening him from his experience. Quickly he struggled out of his covers and looked around. To his surprise and relief, he found himself in the safety of his own room.

"Serge?" Serge's mother called as she entered the room. She found Serge on the floor, trying to catch his breath. "Are you all right, Serge?"

"Huh?" Serge said as he looked toward her, still shocked from what he saw.

"You all right?" Marge asked again.

Serge forced himself to calm down before answering. "Yeah. I'm all right."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It must have been a…bad dream," Serge said, struggling to find some words to fit his experience.

"Do you need anything?"

Serge only shook his head 'no' in response.

"Okay. Just tell me if something is wrong, all right," Marge said as she left the room.

"Sure."

As Marge left, Serge tried to put together the events that he had witnessed. The dream, assuming it was a dream, seemed so real. He could remember the pain he felt of his shoulder breaking and his body falling through the void. In his mind, he began to wonder if what he saw was not a dream, but a old memory he had forgotten or…

Or a premonition of what was to come.

* * * * *

Serge landed on his back, having the wind knocked out of him. As he regained his breath, he looked up into the face of his opponent, who stood over him, laughing.

"Ho-Ho. Serge, you got to work on your blocking technique. Surely I've taught you better than that," Radius laughed as he held out his hand to help Serge up.

Serge accepted Radius's help as he got up. He then picked up his Sea Swallow that had been knocked out of his hands and took a defensive stance. "You just got lucky."

"Ah. Its good to see you still don't give up so easily," Radius smiled. He then entered his own stance. "Attack me!"

What followed was a series of swift and deadly blows against each other. Both opponents held nothing back as they tested each other's skill in physical attacks. The sound of swallow crashing against cane echoed through the training yard, drawing a small audience to watch. The two fought as if their very lives depended on it. But after a few minutes, it was Serge who fell after being jabbed in the side by Radius's cane.

Radius shook his head in disappointment. "Your leaving your side open each time you do a strong uppercut. Try to be less aggressive."

"Right," Serge said, slightly aggravated after being defeated by Radius seven times in a row. Still, Radius meant well. He was only keeping Serge in the best physical condition, in case Serge was ever forced to do battle again. Once again, Serge pulled himself off the ground and confronted Radius.

* * * * *

Among the crowd of people watching the fight was Leena. She stood amazed at how fast both men moved to counterattack each other's blows. A few times, Leena found it hard to follow the combat through. At one point, Serge seemed to be on the offensive, the next moment Radius was pushing him back. Silently she cheered for Serge to win, but her efforts seemed to be in vain since Radius had beaten Serge several times already

As the combat continued, Leena's interest began to waver. Instead, she found herself thinking back to the events in Termina. After listening in on the conversation Serge and Norris had, she felt she had found out more about Serge than she ever thought possible. She began to wonder if Serge was the same 'Serge' she once knew. It seemed Serge had changed so much over the course of a few nights. With that thought in mind, Leena began to wonder when Serge had first begun to change.

After some serious thought, Leena realized it had to have happened after his 'dream quest'. Leena could still remember what happened on that day. The two of them had met on Opassa Beach after Serge had gathered some Komodo Scales to make a necklace for her. What was supposed to be the most romantic moment of their lives had ended when Serge had fainted. A short time later, he awoke, sputtering nonsense.

Or was it nonsense?

After what she heard in Termina, Leena began to think that somehow Serge's 'dream' was true, or at least a part of it was. She also began to wonder if Serge's dream was somehow connected to what happened during the voyage to Termina. Many questions were plaguing Leena. What happened in Serge's 'quest'? When did it happen? What happened to Serge during the voyage to Termina? What was Serge trying to hide? These were questions Leena was determined to find out.

Leena was then awakened from her thoughts as she heard Serge shout out in triumph. She turned to watch the events unfold in the training yard.

* * * * *

"Gotcha!" Serge shouted triumphantly after knocking Radius's cane from his hand. The next moment, Serge was knocked to the ground again after being punched in the face.

For a moment, Serge lay stunned on the ground. As he recovered his wits, Serge became aware of a pain in the corner of his mouth. He reached up with one hand and rubbed the corner of his jaw. As he pulled his hand away from his mouth, he saw a little blood on his fingers. It was then that he felt a small trickle of blood running down the side of his mouth. Serge looked angrily up to his teacher. "What was that for?"

"I may have been disarmed, but I was still standing. You let your guard down," Radius smiled as he helped Serge off the ground.

Serge let out a sigh of frustration as Radius helped him up and led him to a bench at the side of the training area. As Serge sat down, Radius pulled a tablet from his pocket and handed it to him. "Here. This will stop the bleeding," Radius said.

Serge accepted the tablet and used it. Almost immediately, he could feel the healing power of the element in his mouth. "Thanks."

Radius smiled down at Serge and took a seat next to him to rest from the training. Though Serge had lost the battles, Radius felt drained from the experience. Serge was probably one of the few people that could beat him, at least occasionally. But today, Radius sensed that Serge's mind was preoccupied with something else. "So what's troubling you?"

"Huh?" Serge asked, looking up to his mentor.

"Your mind was preoccupied with something else. That's why you lost eight times in row. You must be concentrating on something else if not on your training," Radius explained.

Serge let out a sigh. It wasn't easy to hide things from Radius. He began to wonder whether he should tell Radius about his dream. If Radius was just a friend, he would have instantly told Radius that it was nothing. But the bond between Radius and himself was like that of a grandfather and grandson, something Serge was happy to admit since he no longer had a father to confide with. But Serge wasn't used to 'dumping' his problems on anyone else. He always felt uncomfortable when he did. It was like him saying he was unable to take care of himself.

Fortunately, Radius could see this in Serge's eyes. He knew of Serge's pride in trying to be independent. It was probably best not to push Serge, or so Radius reasoned. "You don't have to tell me now if you don't want to. I understand if its something you have to face on your own."

"Thanks."

Radius nodded. "Now if you will excuse me, I have some other students to teach," Radius said. He then stood up and patted Serge on the shoulder. "Why don't you get some rest. You definitely look like you need it."

"You're probably right," Serge said, feeling drained from his training. He watched as Radius left to attend to his other students. In some ways, Serge felt sorry for them since they were about to get a good beating from Radius.

Serge then turned his thoughts towards his dream. Radius had been right in assuming he had something else on his mind. The dream had left Serge confused and worried. It seemed very similar to the dream he had seen of Kid getting stabbed. Serge began to wonder if it was a premonition of what was to come. Was there another power trying to control destiny again? Should he let Radius know what he saw? Before he could answer these questions, a gentle voice interrupted his chain of thought.

"Are you okay Serge?"

Serge jumped a little in surprise and turned to his right to see Leena standing a few feet away. "Oh. Hi Leena. You scared me."

"Sorry. So, what happened?" Leena asked as she slowly approached.

"Nothing much. Radius was just teaching me a lesson I'll probably never forget," Serge grinned.

"Are you hurt? I thought I saw you bleeding earlier," Leena said as she examined Serge's face.

"Don't worry about it. The only thing damaged was my pride," Serge answered.

"Well, we can live without that," Leena snickered.

"Hey!" Serge said in mock frustration.

Leena laughed at the expression Serge gave her. She then calmed herself down so she could ask Serge what she wanted. "Listen, Serge. I really want to talk to you about something. Do you think we could talk in private?"

"What do you want talk about?" Serge asked.

"Well…About your quest," Leena answered.

Serge turned away from her and let out a sigh. What happened during his quest was the last thing he wanted to talk to Leena openly about. "I'd rather not."

"Please Serge. I need to know what happened."

"Why?"

"I…I just wish to know," Leena stuttered.

Serge just looked at her with an expression that told Leena that he thought there was another reason. Leena could see this and knew she would not get an answer from Serge until she told the truth.

"Oh. All right. I overheard you and Norris talking with each other after I stepped out," Leena explained.

"I see," Serge muttered. In his mind, he cursed himself for not realizing Leena could listen in on the conversation he had with Norris at the time. She probably heard more then he wanted her to find out, especially about Kid.

"Sorry. I was just curious." Leena apologized.

"Its okay," Serge said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I just want to know more about you. Ever since you had that one dream about your quest, you changed so much. Can you tell me what happened?" Leena continued.

Serge shook his head 'no'.

"Please Serge. I want to know more about you. How do you know so much when you never left Arni Village? How did you meet Norris?" Leena begged.

"I'm sorry. But I can't," Serge said as he got up and started to walk away.

However, Leena was not going to give up. She needed to know the whole truth. Quickly, she began to pursue Serge, halting his pace by jumping in front of him. "Hold it, Serge! You aren't going anywhere until I get some answers!" Leena said angrily.

Serge rolled his eyes in frustration. "Leena. I can't tell you anything."

"You can't or you won't?"

Serge could see the determination in Leena's eyes. It was the same kind of determination he had witnessed in Kid's eyes many times in the past. It was clear Leena wasn't going to give up until she got what she wanted. Serge found himself at a loss for words.

"You owe me a explanation, Serge. Remember, I saved your life. All I ask in return is that you answer my questions," Leena said. Though she appeared firm on the outside, a part of her regretted having said that. But she was too determined and had few options in confronting Serge on the issue. She only hoped that her actions would not drive Serge away from her.

Serge lowered his head and sighed when he heard this. In his mind, he knew Leena was right. After all she had done for him, she deserved an explanation on everything. Though he knew it was probably best not to tell Leena, he couldn't keep her in the dark forever. "All right. I'll tell you tomorrow," Serge groaned.

"Why not now?" Leena asked.

"Please Leena. I'm tired and I need rest. I swear I will tell you the truth tomorrow," Serge pleaded.

Leena looked deep within Serge's eyes for the longest moment, debating whether or not she should accept Serge's promise. Only the fact that her love for Serge was great did she decide to put her trust in his word. "All right. Tomorrow. We'll meet at the docks in the morning."

"Thank you, Leena."

* * * * *

The next mourning, Serge and Leena were on the open sea in a small boat. Just like their last voyage, the sea was open and calm. Serge had decided to tell her while they were sailing the sea so that no one else could over hear them accidentally. They were about a mile offshore before Serge dropped the anchor and sat down to offer Leena an explanation.

Leena waited until Serge was completely settled before she began. "Listen, Serge. I am sorry I had to do this, but…I just need to know. I need to know what is happening to you. How you know people outside of Arni Village, even though you never left it. I want to know what's going on."

"So. Where should we begin?" Serge said to himself after a brief moment of silence.

Leena remained silent as she waited for the explanation.

"I guess it started when…Huh?" Serge froze in mid-sentence when he noticed something behind Leena.

"What is it?" Leena asked as she turned to face the same direction. The sight of dark clouds approaching met her gaze.

The clouds appeared to be regular storm clouds. However, the movement of the clouds was far from normal. They appeared like an avalanche rolling down the sides of a steep mountain. Before Serge or Leena could comprehend what was going on, the clouds had swept over them and darkened the entire sky.

"Serge. What's going on?" Leena cried.

"I…I don't know?" Serge said as he stood up in the boat.

A crash of thunder and flash of lightning made Leena jump up in fright and grab hold of Serge. "Serge!"

"Calm down. Everything will be fine. Right now we got to paddle our way back to shore before the storm over takes us," Serge said calmly, though even he felt a tinge of fear. There was something unnatural about this storm. The way it suddenly had appeared out of no-where without warning. But how the storm started did not matter at the moment. The best thing to do was to head back to shore and not panic.

As Leena and Serge began to row back to shore, they could feel the storm's power escalate. Bolts of lightning raced through the air, lighting up the sky. The wind quickly grew in strength, causing great waves to form. The small boat that Leena and Serge were in began to rock violently. As the waves pounded the boat, it became increasingly hard for them to keep their balance inside.

"Serge!" Leena cried as she felt herself loosing her balance.

"Hold on!" Serge shouted as he reached out to grab Leena's hand. But as a strong wave crashed along the side of the boat, Leena was thrown over the side.

"Leena!" Serge shouted as he lurched forward to look over the side. However, before he could, a giant wave rolled over the boat, pushing Serge to the other side.

Pain raced through Serge's back as he hit the wooden planks of the boat. But the impact was not enough to stop Serge from getting up again. Quickly he picked himself up and ran to the side Leena had fallen over. "Leena!"

To Serge's horror, he could find no sign of Leena anywhere. Desperately, he searched the area, but found no trace of her. A deep sickening feeling washed over Serge when he no longer saw her.

Without even thinking, Serge dived over the side. Holding his breath as long as he could, he searched underwater for any sign of his friend. But his effort was in vain. After going up to get another breath, Serge dived under the water again.

Several times he repeated the process, battling the strong current. But with each dive, he felt his strength dwindle. It was only when his muscles began to ache and he felt out of breath did he begin his tiresome swim back to the boat. Fortunately, the boat had not drifted far, or else he would have drowned.

As he made it to the side of the boat, he took one final look out over the sea. After a minute of glancing around, he realized that the sea had claimed his friend and there was nothing he could do.

As he slowly climbed back into the boat, exhausted and beaten, a shimmering light along the surface of the water caught his eye. Quickly, he looked toward it, believing it might be Leena. But instead of Leena, Serge was met by another sight.

Rushing just over the sea was a wave of pure white energy. As it passed over the water, the water froze almost instantaneously, making hills of pure ice. Quickly, the wave of energy raced toward the boat, leaving little time for Serge to climb completely out of the water.

Fortunately, Serge reacted quickly when he saw this. Using whatever strength he had left, Serge heaved his body out of the water. He barely managed to pull his feet into the boat as the energy wave froze the water around it. He could hear a hissing sound as the wave passed around the boat, freezing it in place. As the energy wave passed, the storm began to dissipate and was replaced by a gentle howling wind.

Slowly, Serge stood up inside his boat, bedazzled at what had just happened. He found himself looking into hills of ice that used to be waves ready to crash down upon his boat. As Serge peered at the mountains of ice, his mind wandered toward Leena. Was she caught by the energy wave? Serge hoped that she hadn't, but as he looked about, his hopes were dashed. But even though he knew it was impossible for Leena to survive, Serge still needed to know where she was.

Slowly, Serge climbed out of his boat and began searching for Leena. But his efforts seemed to be in vain. The chances of him finding at least a hint of where she was were remote.

As Serge continued to search the area, he became aware of a slight trembling along the ground. At first, the trembling on the ground wasn't to severe, but after a few moments, the trembling began to grow stronger, causing Serge to loose his balance. Although Serge attempted to regain his balance, he could not, and fell on his stomach. 

As he looked up, Serge found himself in the middle of a giant earthquake. All around, the ground began to break up. Small avalanches started as hills of ice began to crumble. All Serge could do was huddle against the ground and wait for the quake to pass.

As Serge crouched against the ground, he heard the ground crack several hundred meters in front of him. As he looked up to see what was happening, he saw a hole form that led to an underground cavern. The opening created grew in size, but stopped only a few meters in front of him. Serge found himself transfixed at what he was witnessing.

As Serge continued to stare at the newly formed chasm, he became aware that some kind of structure was rising out of it. At first, Serge could only make out the twisted metal fragments on the structure. But as the structure continued to rise, Serge began to recognize the general shape the tower took. To his surprise and horror, Serge found himself starring at the Tower of Gheddon.

As Serge witnessed the tower rise, old memories and questions surfaced in his mind. He could remember the last time he had seen the tower in the Dead Sea. It was here that he had met Miguel, Leena's father, while attempting to restore the bridge between the two dimensions. But after he had defeated Miguel, he had seen the tower destroyed by FATE. So how could it be rising in front of him now? Was this a dream?

Before Serge could contemplate what was happening, the ground underneath him began to give away. Serge was so transfixed on the tower that he did not realize his situation until it was too late. Before Serge could react, the section of ice he was on broke apart, sending Serge into a bottomless abyss.

"No!"

* * * * *

"No!" Serge cried as he sat up in his bed. Sweat covered his body.

For a few moments, Serge could not recall where he was. Only after a few glances around his room did Serge realize he had another nightmare. This time, it was far worse than the last. This time he had seen a close friend die in front of him.

As Serge sat at the edge of his bed, he began to wonder if this was a premonition of what would happen to Leena in the future. If so, what part did the Tower of Gheddon serve? Serge found he had no answers.

* * * * *

Leena had waited patiently for what seemed like hours. But as time went by, she became more impatient with Serge's absence. She could only conclude he had slept in, again. After an hour of waiting on the docks, Leena trudged angrily towards Serge's house.

As she reached the door, she began to bang on it in anger. "Serge! Where are you? Serge!"

A moment later, Serge's mother, Marge, opened the door. She looked at Leena in confusion. "Leena? What are you doing here?"

"Oh…sorry to disturb you. But…I was supposed to meet with Serge. Is he here?" Leena asked.

"No. He left about an hour ago. I thought he was going to see you," Marge said.

Leena sighed in frustration. She had trusted Serge to tell her what was happening. Was he going back on that promise? What changed his mind? "When did he leave?" Leena asked.

"Early in the mourning. Said he couldn't sleep," Marge said.

"Couldn't sleep?" Leena asked puzzled. Normally, a person had to literally throw Serge out of his bed to wake him up early in the morning.

"Yes. I think he said he had another nightmare," Marge said.

Leena looked down in thought before turning to Serge's mother. "Thank you," Leena replied as she left.

Marge nodded as she shut the door.

As Leena walked away from Serge's house, she began her long search for him. Leena was now even more determined to find out what Serge was trying to hide. This time, she wasn't going to let Serge get away.

* * * * *

Serge sat on a rock at Opassa Beach and stared into the ocean. Normally, Serge found the sound of the ocean helped him relax whenever he felt too much stress. However, this time it did not. His mind was in complete turmoil after witnessing the nightmare.

Once again, the dream had seemed so real. The fear of braving the storm, the biting cold of the wind when the sea had turned to ice, the sensation of falling when the ice broke all seemed so real.

Yet none of these matched the pain he felt when he saw Leena drown. The dream had made Serge recall the prediction that the fortuneteller had told him in Termina: 'Choose carefully, for some must be sacrificed'. Did that mean sacrificing Leena's life? Serge did not want that. He wasn't sure he could live with such a thing. In the end, he began to rationalize that the less Leena knew, the less involved she would become, saving her from any possible harm.

"Serge!"

Serge awoke from his thoughts and cursed in silence when he heard Leena's voice. The last thing he wanted was to see her now.

Within moments, Leena appeared a few feet to Serge's right, searching for him. After a quick look around, she spotted him. "Serge. What are you doing here? We were suppose to meet at the dock," Leena said.

"Sorry. I just needed some time to myself," Serge mumbled. His eyes wandered out to sea instead of meeting hers.

"What about our promise? Are you going to keep it?" Leena asked.

Serge only let out a deep sigh.

"Serge?"

"I'm sorry Leena. But…I can't," Serge said.

"Serge! You gave your word!"

"I know! And I'm sorry! But…" Serge paused, realizing he could accidentally tell her more then he should. Instead, he fell silent.

Leena's face switched from anger to a gentle face searching for answers. "Serge. You used to tell me almost anything. Why are you holding back from me now? Is it something I did?"

"No. It has nothing to do with you," Serge replied.

"Then why?"

Serge searched for someway to tell Leena the truth, yet hold back enough so that she wouldn't know the truth. But he couldn't.

Leena could see Serge was struggling for answers. She also saw he was troubled by something. To Leena, it appeared like Serge was trying to balance all the world's problems on his shoulders. "Serge. Listen to me."

Serge looked toward Leena.

"I can tell you're troubled. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can help. Let me help you," Leena begged.

Serge sighed and lowered his head. "There's nothing you can do."

"Are you so sure?"

Serge paused and looked at Leena. For a moment, he considered her offer. He knew Leena could watch over herself, especially after watching Leena's counterpart in battle. But what if his dreams meant that a deadly force was approaching. Could Leena defend herself if she became involved?

Serge doubted she could. It was true that her counterpart had grown quit strong, but only after days of training and long adventures. His Leena knew nothing about combat. If something happened to her, Serge wasn't sure what he would do. He did not wish to relive another experience of watching a close friend die.

With that thought in mind, Serge looked straight into Leena's eyes. "Leena. Listen carefully. What I have become involved in goes way beyond any human understanding. For all I know, I may still be on that same journey I started months ago. I don't want to get you nor anyone else involved because it might be dangerous. The best thing you can do is to leave me alone," Serge stated.

"Serge…" Leena whispered.

Without another word, Serge turned around and began to walk off, leaving Leena behind. Reflexively, Leena reached out for Serge with her hand, but Serge did not notice or ignored her gesture. He kept on moving until he vanished into the forest.

Leena was left lost and confused on the beach. Deep inside, she wondered if Serge had completely abandoned her. Did her constant nagging of trying to find the truth really drive him away? Did she loose him?

* * * * *

Within the dark confines of the room, the observer looked upon the golden pillar with frustration in his eyes. He had continued to probe into his captor's mind, but was still met with heavy resistance. Something kept her hope alive, giving her the strength to resist. What it was, the observer could not determine.

Several days had passed, and fatigue and frustration were taking their toll on the observer. Only his determination to break the will of his prisoner kept him going. But even determination could be worn down by fatigue.

From the dark corners of the room, the observer's brother slowly entered the light. Like the observer, he to had shared his time of trying to probe the prisoner's thoughts and was met with failure. This was also true for one other who lived in the tower. And now, like the observer, they all shared signs of fatigue.

"The others have arrived to take over," the brother said as he stood by the observer.

The observer only snorted in response.

"You are tired like the rest of us. You need time to rest," the brother said, sensing the observer's stubbornness.

"Rest can wait. The world can not," the observer stated.

"How can we help the world if we do not have the strength to do so?" the brother asked.

The observer turned to his brother, ready to unleash his fury on him, but then thought better of it. He returned his gaze to the prisoner. "She hides something. If I could find out what it is, I could break her," the observer stated.

"The others may have better success. Let them try," the brother said.

"Yes. Let us try," a new voice boomed into the room.

The observer and his brother turned around to see a dark silhouette hidden in the shadows.

"I take it you have come to relieve me of my post," the observer said.

"Only with your permission of course," the dark figure added, bowing his head respectfully.

The observer looked toward the dark figure in the shadows and then back at his prisoner. After careful consideration, he had to admit defeat. He no longer had the strength to probe his prisoner. Only after a well-deserved rest could he hope to break her. After a long pause, he nodded to the dark figure. He and his brother then began to walk out of the room.

Just as the observer reached the doorway, he turned to the dark figure once more. "Remember this. We are not here to torture her. We must show her the error in her ways. Do not harm her in any way."

"We each have our own ways of breaking those who oppose us. What I choose to do should not concern you. Do not worry. I will make her see the pain she has caused in her actions," the dark figure answered.

The observer did not like the dark figure's tone. He knew what the dark figure had in mind, but did not approve of the method. But there was little he could do in his weary state. It was time to let another take his place, for the time being. With that in mind, the observer left the room, followed by his brother.

The dark figure watched the two of them walk out. When he could no longer sense their presence within the tower, he turned to the prisoner in the golden pillar of light. "And now, I will show you the pain you caused us by fighting against us," the dark figure said. He then lifted his hand in the air and clenched it into a fist. A dark aura seemed to glow around his hand as he clenched it.

At the same time, a web of black energy began to weave itself around the prison. Within moments, the pillar was completely covered in a black spider web of energy.

"Shall we begin," the dark figure smiled. He then clenched his fist tightly.

As his fist clenched, the black webbing that aligned the golden pillar began to glow a bright white. Waves of energy converged on the tiny figure within the prison, sending pain through her that no words could describe. Only the ear-piercing scream could show her suffering.

The dark figure unclenched his fist after a few moments. "You are quite resilient. But all things have limits. How long do you think you can hold against my power?" the dark figure chuckled as he clenched his fist tightly again.

Through the darkened wasteland, the sounds of a young woman screaming echoed across the distance.

* * * * *

Leena sat outside on the wooden steps that led to her house and gazed up into the stars. She was searching for answers in the heavens since she could find none in the village. Most of the questions dealt with trying to find a way to help Serge. But she could find none so far.

Several days had passed since the two of them had visited the city of Termina. Since then, Serge had become more reclusive, avoiding even the company of his mother and Radius. She could tell something in Serge's mind was haunting him, but Serge refused to tell her what. Whatever it was, Leena knew it frightened Serge.

As she continued to look into the heavens, thinking about Serge, she caught sight of a falling star. She stopped her concentration long enough to watch the star soar across the heavens and disappear.

"I hope you made a wish."

Leena looked in the direction the voice came to see Radius. "Radius? What are you doing out here?" Leena asked, surprised by his sudden visit.

"Same as you. Watching the heavens. I often come out at night to walk around. Very relaxing," Radius explained as he peered into the heavens. He then looked to Leena. "You on the other hand are usually asleep," Radius pointed out.

"I couldn't sleep," Leena admitted.

"Oh? How come?" Radius asked as he approached Leena.

"I'm worried about Serge. I came out here hoping the heavens could give me an answer on what to do," Leena answered.

"I see," Radius said as he scratched his beard.

"Radius. I need help. I don't know what to do. I know Serge is frightened. He needs help," Leena said.

"Do you know what he's frightened of?" Radius asked.

"No. All I know it has something to do with his dreams," Leena said.

Radius's interest grew when he heard this. "His dreams?"

"Yes. I think it began during our trip to Termina," Leena said. She then began to tell Radius what happened during the trip to Termina. Radius stroked his beard as he listened with great interest. He found it strange on how Serge had gotten sea sick, and nearly died after doubling over. Serge had spent days on the sea without getting sick. At the end of Leena's tale, Radius suspected that whatever was happening with Serge now had started at that specific event.

"A very interesting tale," Radius said after Leena had finished.

"Maybe you can help him?" Leena suggested.

"Me? Why do you say that?" Radius said with a small laugh.

"Well, he does seem to tell you more than he tells me at times. Perhaps you can find out what is troubling him," Leena explained.

"Hmm," Radius said as he sat in thought. "Truthfully, this is a problem that only Serge can deal with. Only he can ask for our assistance," Radius explained after a long pause.

Leena's head lowered in sadness.

"But I will try to find out what is troubling him," Radius hastily added when he saw the sadness in Leena's eyes.

Leena looked up at Radius. "Thank you," she said. She then looked back to the heavens one last time before turning back to Radius. "I better go back to bed now. Good night," Leena said.

"Good night," Radius said.

Radius watched Leena leave before turning back to the heavens. He tried to figure out how he was going to make Serge tell him what was troubling him. Normally, Radius would let people come to him to discuss their troubles rather then try and force it out of them. But Radius could see Leena's concern in her eyes. He could see the hurt inside her. The poor girl cared for Serge deeply, but was feeling completely helpless. This made him realize that he couldn't just wait for Serge to open up. Something had to be done.

* * * * *

Searching for answers along the horizon the following day, Serge sat quietly in the sands of Opassa Beach. Once again, he was trying to contemplate his latest dream and its meaning. In his dream, Serge found himself racing through the halls of the Tower Gheddon. This time, he was trying to evade some unknown force that had been hunting him down. Desperately he had tried to escape, but like so many dreams before, Serge was slain in the end.

However, this was not the first time he had witnessed this particular dream. Over the course of several nights, Serge's dreams had repeated themselves. Serge always saw himself reliving his encounter with the mysterious portal, or watching the Tower of Gheddon rise from a frozen sea, or being chased around the Tower of Gheddon by some unknown force. By now, Serge was convinced that something was coming, and the Tower of Gheddon was the key to the mystery.

Another mystery Serge faced was the feeling that he had to find something. During the last few dreams, Serge thought he heard something calling out to him, but he did not know who or what it was. He had been searching for it in the last dream, before he felt some dangerous force approach him. Only then did a feeling of dread wash over him, causing him run away.

Before Serge could figure out for himself what these dreams meant, he heard the sound of bushes and twigs being shifted around in the forest behind him. He turned around to see someone approaching him from behind. At first he thought the person was Leena. But as the figure made his way through, Serge saw that the person was slightly taller and wore a white jacket. To his surprise, Serge realized it was Radius.

"Ah. So this is where you are?" Radius said as he emerged from the forest.

"Radius. What brings you here?" Serge asked.

"I was just wondering why one of my best pupils has not come to train with me today, and the past few days as well," Radius answered.

"Sorry. But I needed to take care of some things."

"I see. May I ask what you've been attending to?"

Serge turned his gaze to the ocean. "It's nothing you have to worry about."

"Oh. I think it may," Radius concluded.

Serge ignored him and continued to look toward the ocean.

"You've been hiding away from a lot of people, including myself. In fact, I saw Leena last night. She was very worried about you. She had stayed up all night wondering what was wrong with you," Radius continued.

Serge did not respond.

"She also told me what happened on the voyage to Termina."

Serge heaved a deep sigh when he heard this. He had hoped Radius would never hear about what happened during that trip. He knew Radius would now continue to search for answers until he found the truth.

"Listen Serge. I can see that something is bothering you. Leena suspects it might be your dreams," Radius said.

"Its nothing."

"Serge, It's-"

Serge turned around to face Radius, interrupting him. "Radius. I know what you're trying to do. But this is something I need to do alone. I don't want anyone's help. Just leave me alone!"

What followed was a deep moment of silence as the two men looked at each other. For a brief moment, Serge saw a glance of surprise and shock on Radius's face. Although he did not want to speak harsh words, it seemed the only way for Serge to tell Radius to leave him alone. Yet, Serge could feel a tinge of guilt as he looked into his mentor's eyes.

As he stood there, Radius found himself at a loss for words. Although he wanted to find out more, he knew Serge would only ignore him and push him away further. This was the last thing he wanted to happen. Instead, it was probably best to leave Serge alone.

Slowly, Radius started to walk back the way he came. At the edge of the beach, Radius stopped for a moment in thought. He then turned back to Serge. "You know, a lot of people care about you. By hiding yourself away from them, you may protect them from whatever it is you fear. But you must also remember that you are still hurting them," Radius stated. He then continued on his way.

Serge lowered his head in thought before turning back to the ocean. He knew he had to keep his dreams a secret to prevent anyone else from getting involved. He did not wish to see anyone get hurt. What he was doing was the right thing, or so Serge reasoned.

But there was something in Radius's voice that made Serge think twice. Perhaps it was his sincerity. As Serge thought about Radius's parting words, he remembered the day he said he would tell Leena about his quest. Though she had been persistent and about trying to find the truth, she was only doing it because she was worried about him. In the end, he had only repaid her kindness by pushing her away. He could only imagine the pain one could see on her face during that instant he left her. The same was true about his mother and all of his other friends. As Serge realized this, a feeling of guilt washed through his heart. "How much have I hurt them?" Serge said to himself. Was he right to push them away from him? Was it right to let these dreams ruin his life? He knew the answer almost immediately.

After reasoning with himself, Serge knew he had to tell someone the truth. Hesitating for just a moment, Serge began to run down the path Radius had taken. It did not take long for Serge to catch up. "Radius! Wait!"

Radius stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"I…I need to talk to you about something."

When Radius heard this, he completely turned around to face Serge.

* * * * *

For the next hour, Serge told Radius about his dreams as they sat at Opassa Beach. Serge explained everything concerning his dreams. When they first started. How he watched Leena drown. How he thought the dreams seemed so similar to the dreams where he witnessed Kid getting stabbed. The only thing Serge forgot to mention was how he felt as if something was calling to him.

As Radius listened, he began to understand why Serge had been acting the way he did. "And you think something similar will happen again?" Radius asked.

Serge nodded.

"So. You're keeping others away from you to protect your friends and family," Radius concluded.

Serge nodded. "I don't want to go through another experience of loosing somebody again," Serge answered.

After Serge had said this, Radius heaved a sigh and looked towards the sea. As he did, old memories inside him started to resurface. Like Serge, he to had faced the pain of loosing a friend. The only difference was that Kid lived in the end. Radius had not been so lucky with his friends. It was a terrible feeling that no one should experience, especially someone as young as Serge. "I guess I can understand that. Its not easy to see a close friend get hurt," Radius stated.

Serge silently agreed with Radius.

"Do you really believe these dreams will come true?" Radius asked.

"I don't know. They seem so real. I experience everything around me. It's as if I'm really there. Sometimes I can't tell reality from my nightmares," Serge answered.

"I see. I guess the question now is what are you going to do about it," Radius said.

Serge wasn't sure if he could answer that question. Over the past few nights, he had been debating that same question. What should he do? Should he runaway and hope for the best? Should he try to figure out what was happening? Was it a good idea to pursue the source of his dreams?

Radius waited patiently for an answer. But as he turned to look at Serge, he could see that Serge did not have one for him. "Serge. I don't pretend to understand the pain your going through now. I can only assume that it's not easy for you. But there is something you must know," Radius began.

Serge turned to face Radius, hoping to find an answer.

"Sooner or later, you must face whatever it is that is haunting you. Running away or hiding never solves any problems."

Serge turned back to the sea as he absorbed Radius's advice. He knew Radius was right. Running away in the end could only make his problem worse. Somehow he had to face what he feared. Somehow, he had to face his dreams.

* * * * *

That night, Serge found himself standing within the corridors of the Tower of Gheddon once again. The twisted halls and corridors were littered with metal shards and other debris. As far as Serge could see, he was offered only two paths. One path lead deeper into the tower, the other path led to the outside world.

As Serge stood there, he felt a growing need to find something within the tower. Although he did not know what it was, he felt that it was down the path that led deeper inside the Tower of Gheddon. Slowly, Serge began to make his way toward the inner sanctums of the tower.

As Serge took the first few steps, he felt a wave of fear wash over him. He could sense that he was not alone in the tower. Something else was with him, hunting him down. The sensation washed through his entire body. He wanted to run away.

But Serge fought against his fear to run. He refused to be scared away so easily by something that probably was not there. He needed to face his fears if he was going to pull through. If it meant he would die in the process, then he might as well let it happen, just to end the nightmare.

Slowly, Serge made his way further into the tower, taking one step at a time. The fear of something evil grew stronger with each step. But Serge knew he had to face his fears if he wanted to end these nightmares. He did not know what to expect at the end of the pathway, but he was determined to find out.

Hours seemed to pass as Serge slowly worked his way deeper into the tower. As he approached the end of his journey, he could see a giant doorway that led into another chamber of the tower. The doorway had to be at least thirty feet in height and twenty feet in width. The area that lay beyond it seemed like an arena as far as Serge could see.

Taking those last few steps through the doorway was one of the hardest things Serge felt he had to do. However, as soon as he passed through, the fear inside him began to fade away. It was replaced by wonder and astonishment.

The room Serge now stood in was huge by human standards. It was cylindrical in shape and several stories high. Serge could make out pieces of wreckage covering the floor, presenting several obstacles for anyone who wished to cross. Twisted remains of ancient, or rather, future technology lay on the floor, waiting for someone to salvage. However, it was the object in the center that caught Serge's eye.

To Serge's surprise, he had found a large golden pillar of light that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. As far as he could see, nothing seemed to be emitting the light along the outside and Serge could not see anything inside. In his mind, he wondered if this was what he had been searching for. In truth, he did not know what he was looking at.

Deciding to get a closer look, Serge slowly made his way forward. It had taken him a few minutes to cross over the debris on the floor before he reached the pillar. As he stood before the pillar, he searched for the source that was creating it, but saw none. All he could see was the golden light the pillar emitted.

Slowly, Serge reached out and touched the pillar with one hand. As Serge's hand pushed against the pillar, he could feel the light push back. It was like he was touching a liquid material that would not allow his hand to pass through, only glide along the surface. A cold sensation ran through his fingers as they glided over the pillar.

Serge pulled his hand away and looked at it. As far as he could tell, nothing had happened to his hand and he did not feel any symptoms of poison. He then looked up to the pillar again; trying to find out what purpose it served. Was it a doorway? Some ancient magic left behind? What was its purpose?

Serge then noticed the pillar was extending outward in the form of a golden mist. The mist seemed to envelope the entire room as it made its way along the floor and up the walls, covering everything. As Serge saw this, he wondered if it would have been a good idea to run. But he knew he had to find out what was happening if he ever wanted to end the nightmares. Serge could only watch everything around him, including the pillar, disappear. Even the floor seemed to vanish, making Serge appear as if he was standing on nothing but the strange fog. Before long, he found himself inside a void comprised only of the golden mist emitted by the pillar.

Serge felt a tinge of fear and uncertainty as he looked around his new environment. He could not find anything to guide him through the glowing fog. It seemed endless in every direction.

"Serge…"

Serge jumped as he heard his name whispered. The voice seemed to come from all directions. But as Serge looked around, he could not find the source.

"Serge…"

Serge felt his heart quicken as he heard his name called out again. He spun around in every direction trying to find the source. "Who's there?"

"Serge…"

Serge continued to look in vain. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Serge demanded.

There was no response. Only emptiness. But Serge knew something was out there. What it was or what its intentions were still remained a mystery. But deep inside, Serge suspected that whatever was out there was the cause of his nightmares.

Serge then noticed a dark shape materialize a few feet in front of him. Keeping a defensive stance, Serge watched as the dark shape took the form of a shadow in the shape of a young woman. With the exception of a pair of golden eyes, the shadow did not take any form of detail. Serge was only able to make out from the shape of the shadow that the woman had short hair that went down to her shoulders and wore clothes that appeared to be torn in various places. But he could find no distinguishing marks to tell him who it was.

It took a short time for Serge to recover his voice after watching the shadow appear before him. "Who…who are you?"

The figure did not respond. Instead the figure extended her hand out to Serge, silently pleading for him to take it.

It did not take long for Serge to understand the gesture. For a few moments Serge could only stare at the shadow and wonder. Many questions seemed to fill his mind as he looked at the figure. Who was she? Was this the person responsible for his dreams? What did she want? Could he trust her?

But as Serge looked at her, he felt something…familiar about her. Something inside told him he could trust this person. He wasn't exactly sure why, he just knew he could.

For a few short moments, he stared at the figure's hand, trying to decide whether he should take it. Only after several moments of debating to himself did Serge find the will and courage to extend his own hand.

Slowly, his hand reached out to the figure. He still felt unsure about this gesture, but it seemed the only way if he was ever to find any answers on what was happening to him.

Just as their hands were about to touch, a sudden force of black energy erupted between them. The sudden eruption threw Serge backwards, causing him to land on his back a few feet away. It took Serge a few moments to recover from the shock, but as he looked up, he found another dark shadow bearing down upon him.

Like a demon from a nightmare, Serge found himself looking directly into the jaws of a shadow that took on the form of a giant snake or hydra. Its mouth was large enough to swallow him whole and was filled with jagged teeth.

As the creature came bearing down upon him, Serge barely managed to roll away in time to escape the attack. He then got to his knees and watched as the giant monster turned around to strike at him again. 

Reacting on impulse to the sudden danger, Serge called upon one of his elemental skills to counterattack. As the spell took hold, white rays of energy erupted between Serge and the attacker. But because Serge had hastily cast the spell, he could not control the power he wielded. Instead the rays of light expanded out in all direction as the spell grew uncontrollably. Before long the entire void was enveloped in white oblivion.

* * * * *

A gentle night wind blew threw the village as Radius walked through it. His mind focused on the gentle sounds of the ocean crashing against the dock. He found such walks would relieve the tension in his mind of handling the responsibilities of being chief of Arni Village. Tonight was no exception. Little did Radius realize was that the tranquility would not last.

As Radius made his way across the dirt path, he became aware of a small hissing sound nearby. At first, he thought there was a snake hiding in one of the bushes. But as the hissing continued, growing louder with each moment, Radius realized it wasn't a snake, but something else.

Turning to the source, Radius found himself looking towards Serge's window. Inside, he could make out flashes of white light.

Deciding to investigate, Radius made his way forward. He held his cane ready to ward off any attacks that might come hi way. "Serge?" Radius called out as he tried to peer inside the window, but saw nothing but white light. Slowly he made his way closer.

Suddenly, the entire wall that Radius faced exploded outward. The sudden explosion sent Radius flying backwards. He landed on his side several feet from Serge's house.

As Radius recovered from the sudden impact, he looked up to see brilliant rays of light enveloping Serge's room. The rays of light seemed to be forming along the ground and reaching up to the sky where they would dissipate. Whatever the light touched immediately began to break apart or disintegrate.

As Radius watched the horrifying sight, old memories began to resurface. Having witnessed the same power in the past several times, it did not take Radius long to realize what he was looking at. Only one person he knew could cast such magic.

After a few moments had passed, the light began to dissipate completely. To Radius's horror, the entire section of the house that used to be Serge's room had been destroyed. All that remained were the burnt remains of what used to form the wooden supports and siding of the house.

As Radius stared at the destruction caused by the light, he found he could only mutter one word.

"Serge…"

TO BE CONTINUED….

What has befallen Serge? What do his dreams signify? In the next chapter, these questions, and maybe a few others, will be answered.

Chapter 3: The Quest Begins

Author's note:

Once again, I apologize for how long it took me to complete this. This was one of the hardest chapters to write. It did turn out better than I thought it would. The next chapter will probably be done by next month, but I offer no guarantees to when it will come. I ask that you please send me reviews to let me know how I am doing. Your reviews mean a great deal to me.


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